14 DAY TRIAL // Country singer Mindy McCready’s suicide over the weekend has put Dr. Drew Pinsky in the spotlight, getting him plenty of unwanted negative attention. The star was on Dr. Drew’s VH1 show Celebrity Rehab and, in taking her own life, she became the fifth participant to die in just 2 years.
Many feel that this large number is the closest thing to proof that Dr. Drew isn’t really treating the celebrities he has on his show but rather exploiting their many problems for ratings and, ultimately, money.
Partly to deny these rumors, which are now being widely circulated online, Dr. Drew has issued a statement to People magazine to express his sadness at Mindy’s death and, of course, his final efforts in helping her defeat her demons.
As we also reported the other day, for years, the singer had been struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. In recent weeks, she was most likely suffering from depression as well, brought on by her partner’s suicide.
“I am deeply saddened by this awful news. My heart goes out to Mindy's family and children. She is a lovely woman who will be missed by many,” Dr. Drew says.
“Although I have not treated her for a few years, I had reached out to her recently upon hearing about the apparent suicide of her boyfriend and father of her younger children. She was devastated,” he adds in the same statement.
“Although she was fearful of stigma and ridicule she agreed with me that she needed to make her health and safety a priority. Unfortunately it seems that Mindy did not sustain her treatment,” Dr. Drew adds.
Ultimately, if this tragedy could not be avoided, at least it should serve to sound the alarm on how dangerous mental health issues can be if left untreated, he says.